Two quick potty questions

Hola all,

Our bulldog male pup (Oscar) is a little over 5 months old. He's pretty good about holding it for extended periods of time in his pen when we're not at home. During the workday, he's good until someone gets home and he can easily hold it overnight. However -

1) Whenever we're home and he's outside his pen he'll need to pee about every hour or so but it seems to be for "attention" i.e. he'll do it right in front of us. This is a relatively new thing, he starting doing this about two weeks ago. I believe he can hold it longer but how do I train him to hold it a little bit longer each time even when we're around.

2) We live in a condo building so we have to walk out in the hallway, into the elevator and through the lobby before he gets to his spot. Sometimes he can hold it the whole way but sometimes he piddles a little (or a lot) on the way out. He's about 40 lbs. now so carrying him the whole way is starting to become a non-possibility.

Any thoughts?

- Dave

Does he have access to water the whole time he is crated? If not then that may be the reason he has to go so often when he is out. He drinks a lot more most likely. A five month old pup might honestly still have to go out once an hour while you are home. He is still getting the hang of this whole potty business and if he is peeing in your home still then he must have to go potty.

As for the piddling in the elevator or hallway, you may need to take him out more frequently. The less chance a puppy has to make mistakes the quicker it will learn from the praise it receives for getting it right. I don't give my puppies a chance to make a mistake. If we are potty training then the only time I am not supervising my pup is when it is crated. Otherwise I am like a hawk and make sure we go out at regular intervals. Just keep up what you are doing, maybe increase the frequency of going out. You are certainly on the right track!

Adrienne,

Thanks for the excellent reply and yes, I think taking him out more often is the way to go. You're right, he doesn't have access to water when he's penned but we do give him water about 10-15 minutes before we do take him out so he may still have a little "built up" inside of him.

Glad I could be of help Got any pictures of the cutie? I love that breed!

Take a look at the Puppy picture section and if you look at my past posts you'll see it in my Welcome post. Thanks!

- Dave

It's great that he's fine in his cage..... he may feel that when he's out any surface is fair game. I've never crated,so have no clue !! Maybe you could teach him " hold it" ...or "wait" ..?????

That's the goal. I'm just surprised he can hold it for extended amounts of time when he's alone in his pen (8+ hours) but needs to go out every hour or so when we're home. I feel he knows not to do it in his "home" but unsure otherwise. I want to "extend" his non-peeing area from his pen to our whole home.

Think Im confused here - you leave him for 8+ hours without water?

You really should put a bowl with some water in his pen. It's a long time for him to go without it. He might have a small accident at first until his bladder gets used to holding water, but he really does need to have some during the time he's in his pen.

Surprisingly our vet gave us this advice. Now we leave a little bit of water with him during the day.

I would change your vet - I find it hard to believe he told you it was OK to leave any dog for over 8 hours without water! Quite frankly thats cruel! But are you actually leaving your puppy for 8+ hours on his own and expecting him not to drink or pee? Cant you get someone to come and let him out or walk him during the time your gone? Are you doing any other training with him?

Our vet (actually one of three of the vets at the place we go to) said that puppies need a certain volume of water per 24-hour period so as long as he eventually got that water during his feeding times, he'd be okay. Don't shoot the messenger, just reporting what we've been told.

Of course not but I would consider shooting the vet! (joke). However you didnt say if you are actually leaving your puppy for over 8 hours in his crate either with or without water.

Well they don't move much in their crate, which is why they are less likely to get thirsty and pee. When your pup is out, he moves a lot and it stimulates his bladder, so he will pee more. That's when he needs more water too.

I don't believe you can properly teach a dog to hold. Using a crate helps though (as they usually don't pee in it), but mostly it will come when they learn that they need to pee outside - they will hold as much as possible until they are outside.

Penny was completely housebroken by the age of 4 months and even before that she didn't have many accidents. She does hold it a lot longer in her crate then she does when she's not in it. With her we just always kept a close eye on her and when we got the feeling she had to go we took her out. She doesn't go in her crate during the day when we are gone for a long time, only when we're gone for like two hours and she never has an accident when we're gone, even if it's for 7 - 8 hours. I think it's all about making them " want" to go outside. Penny will not pee/poo anywhere but on the grass outside, and it has to be a certain spot too. We always gave her lots of treats if she went outside. She wants to go outside and now is fine with just four to five walks a day. If she really has to go in between she will bark and let us know.

Maybe since you can't carry him it would be an idea to keep his attention foccused on you while you get through the hallway and outside? Maybe if you just talk to him really happy and take his favorite toy or treat so that he can foccuss his attention on that and maybe not think about the fact he has to go so bad until he's outside? and then once he does go give him the toy or treat? Just an idea.

goodluck with it! I'm sure he'll get better at it soon!